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Dace spawn iii the latter end of March, in a gentle stream 

 with a sandy bottom. This is the only fish that I know that 

 will bite while spawning. I have seen them in thousands together 

 on sand beds at this season rise at the fly, and bite at the worm 

 as fast as you could throw in. Some will be caught just after 

 parting with their spawn, but I have seen the spawn run away 

 in a stream the moment they were touched. But it is not 

 sportsmanlike tor anglers always to catch fish when they can. 

 Give them sufficient time to recover from spawning, say one 

 month, and then it will take all the skill you possess to catch them. 



As soon as Dace have done spawning, they make their way to 

 a sharp stream with a gravelly bottom to scour and clean them- 

 selves. This occupies the best part of April. From the 

 beginning of May till the end of September, they will be found 

 in deeper water, but always a good stream. They do not like 

 still waters during the summer months. In October, when the 

 frosty nights set in, they retire to a gentle swim, from two to 

 four feet deep, with a sandy or fine gravelly bottom, where they 

 will continue all winter. Dace will. bite when it freezes in very 

 slow and languid streams. 



The best months for Dace fishing are those from July till 

 November inclusive, but the fish will bite at certain baits more 

 or less every month in the year, but in my opinion the best 

 months are those which I have referred to, because after Novem- 

 ber Dace fishing is far from being certain, especially if a little 

 snow should get into the water. If so, cold worms do not very 

 well agree with them ; in fact, a very little food of any sort will 

 satisfy them in the winter months. Dace are caught with many 

 kinds of baits, and anglers differ much in their opinions as to 

 which are best. The principal baits used are the cad-bait, 

 straw-bait, wasp-grub, gentles, grains, creed malt and wheat, 

 flies, and worms ; but, in my opinion, if you were to fish with 

 five hundred different sorts of baits you would find none equal 

 to flies and worms. There is no doubt but Dace will take all 

 the above-mentioned baits, but even when they will take any 

 of the first seven, the last two will catch them better than all 



